Health Insurance: NHIA, NAFDAC Approve Logo For Branded Drugs

A logo has been approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA for the branded health insurance drugs, which are billed to be available designated NHIA partnering hospitals next month.

>The logo which is like a fan shape has the NHIA colours for easy identification, and NHIA has chosen seven states (Delta, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Niger, Osun, and Sokoto states) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the pilot phase of this initiative.

Revealing the logo at a media conference in Abuja, the Director General of NHIA, Prof. Mohammed Sambo said twelve pharmaceutical companies are expected to brand thirty-three products for the health insurance ecosystem in the first phase.

“The activity and the production of the products are expected within the next 30 days,” he said.

He noted that the Medicines Supply Initiative (NMSI), was geared towards the strengthening of local pharmaceutical manufacturers, which would guarantee medicine security.

On her part, the DG NAFDAC, professor Mojisola Adeyeye said to ensure sustainable access to affordable and acceptable quality medicines for all Nigerians, the agency has entered into a partnership with NHIA.

”This was in accordance with Executive Order 3 (EO3) on support for local content in public procurement by the Federal government which requires that all MDAs grant preference to local manufacturers of goods and service providers in their procurement of goods and services.

According to the NAFDAC DG, ”It was based on this collaboration with NAFDAC and in line with Executive Order 3 (EO3), that NHIA worked with Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturers whose manufacturing facilities have been approved by NAFDAC as meeting Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements for the procurement of needed medicines.”

Professor Mojisola Adeyeye said NAFDAC as a critical stakeholder in the health sector, was mandated to regulate and control the importation, exportation, and manufactured Regulated products.

”As well as Advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, packaged water, detergents, and chemicals. (Regulated products)”

The DG hinted that NAFDAC carries out this mandate by ensuring appropriate documentation of product attributes (Dossier Assessment), conducting inspections of manufacturing facilities to ensure they comply with good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements, laboratory evaluation of products to ensure compliance with quality attributes, granting marketing authorization, conducting post-marketing surveillance to monitor products on the market for continued compliance with quality and safety requirements among others.

”NAFDAC has in the past five years developed a GMP Roadmap which continuously assures that pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria remain compliant with global best practices,” she added.